John Lennon remembered

John Lennon

John Lennon, singer-songwriter-musician and founding member of the Beatles, would have turned 75 on October 9, 2015. Lennon was murdered 35 years ago today outside his New York City apartment building, The Dakota, shot in the back four times by a deranged fan, Mark David Chapman, the night of December 8, 1980. He was 40 years-old.

Born John Winston Lennon in Liverpool, England in 1940, he left an enduring legacy in music and pop culture.

In this photo, former Beatle John Lennon performs at New York's Madison Square Garden on August 30, 1972.

By CBSNews.com Senior Photo Editor Radhika Chalasani

Credit: AP Photo

"Love Me Do" & "Please Please Me"

The Beatles, left to right, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr and John Lennon (1940 - 1980) arrive at London Airport after a trip to Paris, February 6, 1964.

Sixteen year-old Lennon formed a band, the Quarry Men, and invited Paul McCartney to join the group after meeting at a local church. Connections soon followed with George Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe and Pete Best. Buddy Holly's band called the Crickets was inspiration for the subsequent name change to the Silver Beatles from Quarry Men. In 1960, they became the Beatles.

The Beatles were then discovered by Brian Epstein in 1961. Sutcliffe died of a brain hemorrhage and Best was fired in 1962. The band added a new drummer, Ringo Starr in August. "Love Me Do," in October 1962, was their first single. Their second song, "Please Please Me," topped the British charts and the Beatles quickly became the most popular band in the UK.

"Love Me Do" with the lyrics "Love, love me do You know I love you I'll always be true So please, love me do" had Lennon playing harmonica and McCartney singing a capella.

Credit: Getty Images

The Beatles

The Beatles board a plane in London on August 18, 1964 for their U.S. tour. From the front are Paul, George, John and Ringo.

Credit: AFP/AFP/Getty Images

"Ed Sullivan Show"

The Beatles perform on CBS' "Ed Sullivan Show" in New York February 9, 1964. From left at front are Paul McCartney, George Harrison and John Lennon. Ringo Starr is the drummer.

The group's appearance on the show was the first time a British rock band made a big mark in the U.S. and officially launched Beatlemania.

Credit: CBS

John and Cynthia Lennon

John Lennon and his wife, Cynthia, are shown in a night spot after the visiting British Rock 'N' Rollers made their New York debut Sunday, February 11, 1964. Paul McCartney is behind Lennon. Lennon married Cynthia Powell in August 1962.

Credit: AP

Fab Four

The Beatles: Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, George Harrison and John Lennon are shown left to right, in June 1964.

The Beatles were soon followed by other British bands crossing the pond, including the Rolling Stones, the Kinks, the Dave Clark Five and The Who. The new fascination and popularity of British music and British culture was often called the "British invasion" and played an instrumental role in the rising "counterculture" in America and Europe.

Credit: AP

The Beatles

From left, George Harrison, John Lennon, Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney are seen in a 1964 photo.

Credit: AP

The Beatles

The Beatles relax on a boat off the coast of Miami in February 1964. Shown left to right are John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr.

Credit: Express Newspapers/Getty Images

The Beatles

The Beatles pose with their M.B.E. (Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) medals on October 26, 1965. From left are Paul McCartney, George Harrison, John Lennon and Ringo Starr.

According to Lennon, he originally thought the letter of notice was for him to be called up for the draft. Many of the others set to receive the M.B.E., presented by Queen Elizabeth, returned theirs in protest over the Beatles honor.

Lennon, known as the anti-establishment Beatle, was quoted as saying, "Lots of people who complained about us getting the M.B.E. received theirs for heroism in the war," said Lennon, "They got them for killing people. We got ours for entertaining. I'd say we deserve ours more." Lennon gave his medal to his Aunt Mimi.

Credit: AP

The Beatles

The Beatles, from left, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon and George Harrison, are seen in a 1966 photo. The Fab 4 stopped touring that year after their August 29 concert in San Francisco's Candlestick Park. They made the film "Magical Mystery Tour" in late 1967.

Credit: AP

John and Julian Lennon

John Lennon poses with his son Julian in this 1968 photo. Julian is named after Lennon's mother.

Father and son had a distant relationship, particularly with Lennon's divorce from Julian's mother, Cynthia in 1968.

Credit: AP

John Lennon and Yoko Ono

Beatle John Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, visit the Paris flea market on March 22, 1969. The couple married March 20, 1969, a year after Lennon's divorce from Cynthia Powell. Lennon and Ono met at the Indica Gallery in November 1966.

Credit: Mychele Daniau/AFP/Getty Images

John Lennon and Yoko Ono

John Lennon (L) and his wife Yoko Ono receive journalists in the bedroom of the Hilton hotel in Amsterdam, during their honeymoon in Europe, March 25, 1969. The "bed-in" was a peace protest in which the couple conducted interviews and were filmed.

Credit: AFP/Getty Images

John Lennon and Yoko Ono

John Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, left, are shown in June 1969 at an airport at an unknown location.

Lennon's relationship with Ono, including the couple's artistic and political activities, created tensions for the Beatles. Lennon and Ono recorded the song "Give Peace a Chance" in 1969 under the name "the Plastic Ono Band."

Credit: AP

The Beatles

The Beatles in 1969 in what turned out to be their last photo session together: From left are Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and John Lennon.

The band's breakup was on the horizon and eventually happened after they recorded "Abbey Road" in September 1969. The split became public in April 1970, just before the release of "Let It Be."

Credit: AP/Apple Corps. Ltd.

The Beatles

The Beatles pose during their final photo session on August 20, 1969.

Credit: AP/Apple Corps. Ltd.

John Lennon

John Lennon is shown in a photo taken on June 1, 1969.

Credit: AP Photo

John Lennon and Yoko Ono

Yoko Ono and John Lennon pose for a photo on June 1, 1970.

Credit: AP Photo

John Lennon and Yoko Ono

John Lennon and Yoko Ono in an undated photo in New York in the 1970s.

Lennon and Ono temporarily separated in late 1973 and reconciled the following year. Their son, Sean, was born on Lennon's 35th birthday, October 9, 1975.

Credit: Brenda Chase/Online

John Lennon

John Lennon is seen in a 1980 photo taken just days before his death.

After taking a break from making music to concentrate on his family, Lennon returned to the business in 1980. He created the album, "Double Fantasy," which included the single "(Just Like) Starting Over."

Credit: AP

John Lennon and Yoko Ono

John Lennon and Yoko Ono in New York City in December 1980, shortly before Lennon was shot and killed on December 8.

Lennon was killed outside his apartment building in New York City, just weeks after the release of "Double Fantasy."

Credit: Getty

The Dakota

Fans make peace signs in front of the Dakota apartments where Lennon lived at 72nd St., and Central Park West in New York City, December 14, 1980.

Lennon was killed by deranged fan Mark David Chapman at the entrance of the Dakota building.

Credit: AP

Memorial

A crowd gathers on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, December 10, 1980 for a vigil for John Lennon after his murder in New York City.

Credit: Charles Tasnadi/AP

John Lennon

An estimated fifty thousand people attend a vigil for slain former Beatle John Lennon in New York City's Central Park on December 14, 1980.

Credit: STF/AFP/Getty Images

"Imagine"

The "Imagine" tile mosaic in the Strawberry Fields section of Central Park on October 9, 2014 in New York City.

The 2.5 acre Strawberry Fields, named after the Beatles' song "Strawberry Fields Forever" written by Lennon was dedicated on what would have been his 45th birthday on October 9, 1985, by New York Mayor Ed Koch and Yoko Ono. Ono paid for the the project.

The "Imagine" lyrics are an anthem of peace activists and hold strong symbolism because of the way Lennon died:

"Imagine there's no heaven. It's easy if you try. No hell below us. Above us only sky. Imagine all the people. Living for today... Imagine there's no countries. It isn't hard to do. Nothing to kill or die for. And no religion too. Imagine all the people. Living life in peace... You may say I'm a dreamer. But I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us. And the world will be as one."

Credit: Andrew Burton/Getty Images

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Former Beatle Paul McCartney (C) holds up the hands of the late John Lennon's son Sean Lennon (L) and his wife Yoko Ono (R) after John Lennon was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, January 19, 1994.

Credit: Maria R. Baston/AFP/Getty Images

Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon

The widow and son of the late Beatle John Lennon, Yoko Ono (L) and Sean Lennon (R), pose for photographers during the 46th Annual Grammy Awards on February 8, 2004 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

The academy honored the Beatles on the 40th anniversary of their arrival in the US.

Credit: Hector Mata/AFP/Getty Images

Sean Lennon

Musician and composer Sean Lennon, of the U.S. duo The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger, performs on stage during the Rock-en-Seine music festival on Aug. 23, 2014 in Saint-Cloud, near Paris.

Sean Lennon's music career began when he was 5 years-old and recorded a story on Yoko Ono's 1981 album, "Seasons of Glass." His debut solo album "Into the Sun" came out in 1998.

In addition to his half-brother Julian, he has a half-sister Kyoko Chan Cox. Elton John is his godfather.

Credit: Bertrand Guay/AFP/Getty Images

Julian Lennon

(L-R) Bono and Julian Lennon perform on stage during the Leonardo Dicaprio Foundation Launch at Domaine Bertaud Belieu on July 23, 2014 in Saint-Tropez, France.

He was the inspiration for three Beatle's songs - "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," Hey Jude" and "Good Night." Beatles' manager, Brian Epstein, was his godfather.

Credit: HO/Getty Images For LDC Foundation

Yoko Ono's peace sign

Thousands of people gathered to form a giant peace symbol on the East Meadow of New York's Central Park, October 6, 2015. The event was organized by Lennon's widow Yoko Ono as part of events marking John Lennon's 75th birthday.